Tropa de choque da polícia militar do Amazonas: a prestação do serviço de segurança pública e a garantia dos direitos humanos

Abstract

Human rights training for public security operators in Brazil is a relatively recent topic, originating with the redemocratisation process of the Brazilian State and the enactment of the 1988 Constitution. Thus, this dissertation set out to investigate the following research question: What are the meanings of human rights and constitutional principles for military police officers in the riot police battalions of the Amazonas Military Police (PMAM) in providing an excellent security service in contemporary society? The general objective of this research is to explain the importance of initial and continuing training in human rights for the efficiency of the social function of the riot police battalions of Amazonas. The specific objectives are to uncover the meanings constituted by military police officers from the Amazonas riot police battalions regarding knowledge of human rights and its relationship with military police activity and to propose, as a product, a human rights course for PMAM officers and enlisted personnel within the scope of the Specialised Policing Command. The methodology employed in this research is qualitative. In terms of objectives, the research used descriptive and explanatory levels; in terms of technical procedures, it used field research, bibliographic and documentary review; primary data collection was carried out using the focus group technique. The research subjects consisted of a group of 11 military police officers from the 2nd Shock Police Battalion – Rondas Ostensivas Cândido Mariano (Rocam) of the Amazonas Military Police. The methodological proposal of meaning nuclei was used to analyse and interpret the information collected. It was concluded that some military police officers are unaware of the implications of the objective dimension of fundamental rights; thus, it is necessary to address the situation of invisibility, vulnerability, and social exclusion to which persons deprived of liberty are subjected. In addition, the issue of racism must be addressed, as denying its existence is an attitude that has serious consequences. In this sense, it is essential to discuss affirmative action, measures capable of alleviating and remedying the unequal impact of legislation and public policies on the exercise of rights. Another finding that emerged from the research was the issue of authoritarian personality, as we witnessed the reproduction of hate speech, and one of the objectives of human rights education is the deconstruction of authoritarianism. Another piece of evidence pointed out by this research is the primacy of recognition and the danger of reification, given that military police officers receive recognition for the high number of seizures and arrests, as the government of Amazonas passed a law that instituted a cash reward for military police officers who make the most firearm seizures. However, the problem is that this extremely repressive public security policy can lead police officers to prioritise the number of firearms seized and dehumanise their interactions with citizens, especially in peripheral communities. Keywords: Human rights; Violence; Organisational culture; Amazonas Military Police; Human Rights Training.